The Third Year and Beyond
The third-year requirements in the PhD program in Comparative Literature will comprise two parts, a written Ph.D Orals Examination and a Prospectus Conference.
The Ph.D. Orals Examination: this exam will be taken in the spring of the G-3 year. It has a tripartite structure and the examination consists of a one-hour major field and two half-hour minor fields, each with one examiner:
The major field involves three (or more) languages, with a reading list of some 40 books (or shorter works adding up to a comparable amount of reading), selected in consultation with the examiner to give the student’s personal take on the likely field of specialization. The major field should provide a broad context for the eventual dissertation topic, while also enabling students to demonstrate a solid knowledge of the primary field, of the sort they might be asked to draw on in creating a survey lecture course.
The two minor fields will each involve a reading list of about 20 books or their equivalent. One minor field could be geared directly to the likely dissertation topic, when known; one could have a predominantly theoretical or interdisciplinary cast. If the major field concerns literature of a single period, one of the minor fields should be based in another period.
The orals fields and lists will be reviewed and approved by the DGS once the three examiners have approved their lists. During the third year, students are expected to meet periodically with their three examiners, on whatever schedule fits their preparation, but making sure to have at least one meeting every two or three weeks with one or another examiner.
The Ph.D. Orals Examination: this exam will be taken in the spring of the G-3 year. It has a tripartite structure and the examination consists of a one-hour major field and two half-hour minor fields, each with one examiner:
The major field involves three (or more) languages, with a reading list of some 40 books (or shorter works adding up to a comparable amount of reading), selected in consultation with the examiner to give the student’s personal take on the likely field of specialization. The major field should provide a broad context for the eventual dissertation topic, while also enabling students to demonstrate a solid knowledge of the primary field, of the sort they might be asked to draw on in creating a survey lecture course.
The two minor fields will each involve a reading list of about 20 books or their equivalent. One minor field could be geared directly to the likely dissertation topic, when known; one could have a predominantly theoretical or interdisciplinary cast. If the major field concerns literature of a single period, one of the minor fields should be based in another period.
The orals fields and lists will be reviewed and approved by the DGS once the three examiners have approved their lists. During the third year, students are expected to meet periodically with their three examiners, on whatever schedule fits their preparation, but making sure to have at least one meeting every two or three weeks with one or another examiner.